The present invention is directed to a modular wheelchair ramp for providing access for handicapped individuals into a building.
Wheelchair ramps are commonly used to enable or aid handicapped or impaired individuals to enter and exit structures, such as buildings and homes, having entry and exit ways that are elevated from a ground or support surface, such as a parking lot or sidewalk. Wheelchair ramps may be installed and used as a cost effective measure to insure that all individuals are able to gain access to structures, such as to government, private, or commercial buildings. Wheelchair ramps may, for example, be installed in the absence of an elevator, or even as an additional means of accessing a structure. Further, wheelchair ramps and/or a means for access into such facilities may even be mandated by federal, state, and local laws and zoning ordinances.
Typical wheelchair ramps are constructed in a custom manner at the facility or structure to which they are to be installed due to the large variations in government, private, and commercial buildings. For example, prior to constructing the wheelchair ramp, measurements such as the elevation of the entry way into the facility and the location of the entry way to the planned start of the wheelchair ramp must be considered. Wheelchair ramps are often constructed of cement or wood due to the ability to fabricate such materials at a particular worksite.
The custom making of wheelchair ramps, however, is costly in terms of time and materials. Further, such wheelchair ramps may be difficult to remove if it later becomes unneeded and/or may result in an unsightly ramp structure.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a wheelchair ramp that may be readily assembled and configured for use with numerous possible arrangements of building and home structures.